National Administration “Apele Romane” Assessment of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters and surface waters and trophic status analysis of surface waters in Romania, according to the requirements of the Nitrates Directive Elena Țuchiu-Director DPMSB Elvira Marchidan, Ioana Nedelea, Gabriel Drăgoi INPC Project Conference 10-13, May, Bucharest

The report sent to the EC included information related to: Pollution of water resources with nutrients – a very important issue of water management Article 10 of Nitrates Directive (ND) - Member States have to submit a report every 4 years, regarding the results of water monitoring and evaluation, and implementation of AP and Code of Good Agricultural Practice (2004-2007; 2008-2011; 2012-2015). From 2013, Romania applies whole territory approach taking account the prevention principle. There is no longer any obligation to designate vulnerable zones The report sent to the EC included information related to: The surface and groundwater monitoring network; Assessment of surface and ground water quality; The classification of trends in concentrations of nitrates in surface and groundwater; The assessment of the surface water trophic status; Assessing trends in chlorophyll concentrations; Representative maps with the distribution of nitrate concentrations in ground and surface waters Monitoring of quality elements / parameters in ground and surface waters, as well as frequency of monitoring were established according to the requirements of WFD.

Groundwater I Quality assessment at section level (average and maximum concentrations of nitrate) - 1256 sections on different aquifers:   Number of drillings monitored in previous reporting Number of drillings monitored in current reporting No. of common points of both reporting Phreatic ground water (0-5 m) 242 150 85 Phreatic ground water (5 - 15 m) 852 511 376 Phreatic ground water (15 - 30 m) 396 291 207 Phreatic ground water > 30m 151 134 82 Captive ground water (sub presiune) 125 139 78 Cartsic ground water 43 31 21 TOTAL 1809 1256 849

Groundwater II The assessment of groundwater quality was done taking into account both the average and maximum nitrogen concentrations. Average concentrations: - 74,32 % value of nitrates below 25 mg/l; - 7,87 % between 25 and 39,99 mg/l; - 2,31 % between 40 and 50 mg/l; - 15,50 % over 50 mg/l. High average concentrations of nitrates are recorded in the plain area (Campia Romana - Southern Oltenia, Campia de Vest) and less in the plateau area (Podisul Moldovei and Colinar Depression of Transylvania).

Groundwater III Trend analysis of nitrate concentration in groundwater in 849 common monitoring points based on average and maximum nitrogen values - 17,98 % -strong reduction trend (< -5 mg NO3/l); - 17,98 % weak reduction trend (între -5 şi -1 mg NO3/l); - 26,09 % stable trend (între -1 şi +1 mg NO3/l); - 12,10 % weak increase trend (între -5 şi -1 mg NO3/l); - 25,85 % strong increase trend (>+5 mg NO3/l).  

Surface waters Qualitative assessment of nitrate concentrations - 1259 sections on different categories of surface water bodies. - The assessment of nitrate concentrations on surface waters was made taking into account the average concentration, the winter concentration (October - March) and the maximum concentration recorded during the monitoring period 2012-2015. - for trends evolution of the nitrates - we used the common sections between current (2012-2015) and previous (2008-2011) reporting. Water body No of monitoring sections in previous reporting No of current monitoring sections No of comman sections for both reporting Rivers 776 905 671 Lakes (natural and reservoires) 356 319 260 Transitional 7 5 4 Coastal 35 25 23 Marine 12 Total 1186 1259 962

Concentrations of nitrates in surface waters - Rivers Higher concentrations of nitrates were recorded in the Dobrogea and Oltenia plain area -in terms of maximum concentrations. The majority of the monitoring sections have concentrations within the range 2 – 9,99 mg/l.

Trends of the nitrate concentrations in surface waters - Rivers From the 671 joint monitoring sections, 85% with reduction and stable trends in average nitrate concentration and average winter concentration, which shows an improvement of trends compared to previous reporting.

Concentrations of nitrates in surface waters - Lakes all average nitrate concentrations were below 25 mg / l. Compared to the previous reporting, there are an improvements in average, winter average and maximum concentrations.

Trends in nitrate concentrations in surface waters - Lakes The trend were analysed on 260 common monitoring sections. For average nitrate concentrations, sections with decreasing and stable trends are over 92% of all sections analysed - improve over the previous reporting period. Increasing trends are recorded in some reservoirs and natural lakes located in Olt, Arges and Dobrogea-Litoral river basins.

Surface waters - concentrations of nitrates in coastal, transitional and marine waters • For transitional and coastal waters: average and winter average nitrogen concentrations are below 10 mg / l and maximum concentrations are below 25 mg / l; • For marine waters: all average nitrate concentrations, winter and maximum averages are below 10 mg / l.

Surface waters - trends in nitrate concentrations in coastal, transitional and marine waters Transitional and coastal waters are maintained in decreasing and stable levels.

Surface water - assessment of trophic status The parameters of the eutrophication process were reported taking into account the nutrients (nitrogen, total nitrogen, phosphates and total phosphorus), dissolved oxygen and organic substances (measured by CBO5), transparency (Secchi disc) and chlorophyll a. According to the ND reporting guideline, the correlation of the trophy classes with the ecological status / ecological potential classes was achieved: -ultra-oligotrophic – very good/maximum (class I); -oligotrophic – good (class II); -mezotrophic –moderate (class III); -eutrophic – low (class IV); -hipertrophic –bad (class V). All physico-chemical and biological parameters (according to WFD) have been considerated for the definition of ecological status and ecological potential, with the exception of specific pollutants.

Surface waters - the trend of chlorophyll concentrations for surface waters, rivers and lakes Rivers: decreasing and stable trends registered in 63.14% of all analyzed sections, compared to 47.6% as reported in the previous report, indicating an improvement of the chlorophyll concentration in the rivers. Lakes: Decreasing and stable trends were registered in 58.33% of the total of the analysed sections, compared to 35.9% from the previous reporting.

Surface waters - the trend of chlorophyll concentrations for coastal, transitional and marine waters - For transitional waters: 50% - decreasing trends, 25% - stable trend, 25% - increasing trends; - For coastal waters: 47.62% - decreasing trends, and 47.62% -increasing trend, 4.76% -stable trend; -For marine waters: 50% - stable trend and 50% - increasing trend.

Conclusions The causes that have led to the pollution of waters with nitrates are multiple. For groundwater, the main sources of pollution are: The lack of wastewater collection systems for human agglomerations. In 2015 about 36.54% of the population equivalent (identified according to the requirements of the Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment - Directive 91/271 /EEC), were not connected to sewage system, the situation being worse for agglomerations in rural areas; Historical sources represented by units or agro-technological complexes that have closed or reduced their activity; Agricultural activities; Landfills of municipal and industrial waste not properly impermeabilised; Industrial units / platforms (especially historical sources) which can lead to groundwater pollution.

Conclusions For surface waters, the main sources of nutrient pollution are: Point sources: Urban sources - lack of wastewater treatment plants; Industrial sources (including agro-technical farms) - in particular units covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive; Diffuse sources: agricultural and urban activities, etc. The quality of the Romanian coastal and marine waters depends to a large extent on the quality of the Danube waters, given that the Danube collects a substantially amount of nutrients, being the collector of 801,463 km2, covering the territory of 19 countries. Measures that are implemented to reduce nutrient are in accordance with the requirements of: the Nitrates Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, etc.

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